Understanding Black History Month

Where did it come from?What purpose was it meant to serve?

What do people think of it now?Do you think it is valuable??

GOAL: to understand the origin of and issues raised by Black History Month by examining information from more than one point of view.

a question to start with..

• Why do we assign a day (or a month) on the calendar to people and events? What are the pros and cons of doing this??

• EXAMPLES OF NATIONAL HOLIDAYS– Fourth of July– Presidents’ Day– Veterans’ Day– Labor Day– MLK Day– Columbus Day

5 min on criticisms of BHM

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDs50IVOmEI

• 2012 PBS clip on its own film series for BHM and interviewing the filmmakers.

The Origin of BHMThe story of Carter G. Woodson, 1875-

1950

• EARLY LIFE: Born in 1875, first college degree in 1903

• HIS CALLING: documenting the lives and accomplishments of the descendants of slaves– Founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life

and History– Began the Journal of Negro History – Research and writings on: myths, schooling, patterns

of migration, entrance into the professions starting in Reconstruction, work in rural America, inventions and writings, the ‘free negro’ in the time of slavery

• HIS LEGACY: launched a movement to observe “Negro History Week” in 1926

• THE CHOICE OF FEBRUARY• LATER EXPANSION TO THE WHOLE MONTH, IN 1976

– Woodson the groundbreaking historian– Woodson the visionary– Woodson the Harlem Renaissance figure– Woodson the political leader– Woodson the activist

SOURCES: “Carter G. Woodson, 1875-1950”, Social History of the United States: the 1910s, p.222 and “Carter Godwin Woodson”, Encyclopedia of World Biography, p. 374-5.

What do people do during Black History Month now?

• Research online to find out about events and information that schools, museums, organizations, media websites (magazines, newspapers) and the government are doing for this year’s Black History Month.– Try to look at a lot of sites before you begin

writing descriptions on the chart– Select a variety so that you can show the full

range of kinds of BHM celebrations– This will be collected for credit

Website or institution/

organization

What are the topics of their

event/ information?

How are they presenting their

event/ information?

[art, performance, speeches, etc.]

What is the overall tone or mood of their

event / information?

How much time / effort seems to be

spent on Black History month?

turn to a neighbor…

• Do you think Black History Month, as you know it, achieves Woodson’s goals?– Why? Or, Why not?

• Do you think that its relevance or its effectiveness has changed over the years since Woodson’s time?

contemporary frustrations……and pleas

• Tavis Smiley: a quick taste of some mainstream attitudes in the African-American community…

• Bill Russell’s plea: “Make every month Black History Month”– What is his argument?– How does his perspective differ from Tavis

Smiley’s?– Whom do you think Russell is addressing? Blacks?

Whites? Both?

ARTICLE: “It’s a Busy Month…”

• For some public figures, BHM is a conundrum– What are the frustrations expressed in the article,

“It’s a Busy Month…” ?– If you put it all together, is there a strong case

against BHM?

Alternatives to BHM

• If you were asked to change things, what would you do, if anything??

• thegrio.com > “100 Making History Today”– new every year in February, but up all year…– not about African-American History…– what is the concept, what is their goal, what is the

effect?– YOUR ASSIGNMENT: explore the site in computer

lab and answer a series of reflections questions.